ABSTRACT
Introduction: Adopting diabetes self-care behaviors to control blood glucose is essential, but adherence to them has been challenged due to restrictions related to Covid-19. These restrictions have negatively impacted the psychosocial condition of individuals with diabetes, which could lead to poor self-care. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the experiences of individuals with type 2 diabetes regarding self-care behaviors and diabetes management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis, the data of which were collected through interviews with people over 18 years of age with type 2 diabetes who were selected from the Endocrinology Clinic of Erfan Hospital in Tehran. Using telephone and WhatsApp, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants (15 women). Content analysis was done using the constant comparative method, and the open and axial coding method was applied. The data were manually coded, and the main themes and categories emerged from data. Result(s): Two main themes emerged from the data: 1) challenges and limitations toward diabetes self-care and 2) facilitators of efficient self-care. Challenges and limitations included 4 sub-themes: Inevitable lifestyle changes, psychosocial problems, limited/lack of access to health care services and medication, and adverse physical effects. Facilitators had 2 sub-themes: improved individual capability and maintaining social interaction. Conclusion(s): Our findings indicated that inevitable lifestyle changes, limited access to health care, and adverse psychosocial consequences were the most critical challenges for diabetes management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving stress management skills and effective coping strategies can facilitate the adoption of self-care behaviors.Copyright © 2022, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Sleep quality is impacted by stress and disruptions in daily routine, both of which characterize the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic brought upon decreased social interactions, increased loneliness, and distress, particularly among persons living with a chronic disease and those who lost their job. The aims of the current study were to assess 1) whether chronic disease, unemployment, and access to physical contact were related to sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) if COVID-19 health worry, work distress, and loneliness would act as specific mediators of each respective relationship. Method: Adults living in Florida (n=2,152;aged 47±18 years, 64% female) completed a Qualtrics survey in April-May 2020 (Wave 1). Participants (n=831) were reassessed one month later (Wave 2;May-June 2020). At Wave 1, participants reported presence of a chronic disease, employment status, opportunity for physical contact with someone they care about during the pandemic, COVID-19 health worry, work distress, and loneliness. At Wave 2, participants rated their quality of sleep and insomnia symptoms that were used to create a latent variable, sleep quality. Results: Using structural equation modeling, we found the presence of a chronic disease was associated with greater COVID health worry (β=0.06, p<.05) and unemployment was related to greater work distress (β=0.22,p<.001). Access to physical contact was directly associated with lower levels of loneliness (β=-0.29, p<.001). Loneliness, but not health worry or work distress, directly predicted worse sleep quality (β=-0.29, p<.001). Further, there was a significant indirect effect such that greater access to physical contact was associated with greater sleep quality via lower levels of loneliness (β=0.08,p < .001). While there were no direct effects of unemployment or access to physical contact on sleep quality, the presence of a chronic disease directly predicted worse sleep quality (β=-0.13, p =.001). Conclusion: As expected, adults living with a chronic disease had poorer sleep quality. Unexpectedly, health worry and work distress did not impact sleep;rather, loneliness was the sole psychosocial predictor of worse sleep quality. Interventions should target reducing loneliness by enhancing social engagement and encouraging safe physical contact to improve sleep problems during the ongoing pandemic.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a chronic disease that requires lifelong medical therapy;thus, it has become a psychosocial stressor associated with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic is also an additional stressor in addition to chronic physical illness, biological factors, cognitive factors, environment, age, parental education, parents’ occupations, and family income. AIM: Thus, in this study, we aim to analyze the risk factors for psychosocial disorders among children with CAH. METHODS: This research was a cross-sectional study conducted from January to April 2021 at the Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, and medical records and then analyzed through univariate and bivariate analyzes using Chi-square test (Fisher’s exact test). RESULTS: In total, 30 children were enrolled in this study, among which 8 (26.7%) had emotional disorders, 5 (16.7%) had behavioral disorders, and most (83.3%) did not have hyperactivity/attention disorders. It was found that 8 children (26.7%) had problems with peer relationships, whereas most (83.3%) did not experience prosocial disorders. Family income (p = 0.032, CI = 95%) and hyperactivity (p = 0.019, CI = 95%) were found to be significantly correlated to conduct problems. CONCLUSIONS: Family income, behavioral disorders, and hyperactivity/attention disorders were identified as risk factors for psychosocial disorders in children with CAH during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic can cause various physical, social, and psychological problems for families. AIM: This study aims to determine the description of family psychosocial problems after the landslide disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive research approach is used to find out the description and problems in detail. Focus group discussions were conducted with eight respondents who were affected by landslides. Furthermore, data analysis was carried out descriptively by bringing up several themes. RESULTS: We found four themes, namely, realizing there was something wrong with the physical, coping, and support system, sex being one of the primary needs, and the need to reduce psychosocial stress. From these four themes, one theme was found, namely, sex being one of the primary needs needed by the participants. We also found that all respondents were not afraid of the COVID-19 condition, but instead, they were more worried about their next house and place to live. This triggers psychosocial problems in the families of disaster victims. CONCLUSION: Family psychosocial problems experienced by landslide victims are eating and drinking, and psychosocial issues are also felt. The cause turns out to be from the effects of loss or the environment. Therefore, nurses can carry out trauma healing interventions by considering the source of the problem from the family.